Gifts At Work

The need for scholarships, professorships and other programs is ongoing. This need is made even more urgent by the continuing worldwide nursing shortage and the challenge of funding in the face of reduced state support.Despite that challenge, UAB has continued to recruit the best and brightest nursing students, as well as top faculty from around the country. This would not be possible without the funding from individuals,corporations and foundations.

Endowed Chairs provide the UAB School of Nursing the opportunity to recruit and retain faculty members who provide academic excellence and visionary guidance to students.We currently have three Endowed Chairs thanks to the generosity of three visionary nurse leaders:

Fay B. Ireland Endowed Chair in Nursing

Doreen C. Harper, PhD, RN, FAAN, currently serves asDean of the School of Nursing and Fay B. Ireland Endowed Chair in Nursing.

Dr. Rachel Z. Booth Endowed Chair in Nursing

The Rachel Z. Booth Endowed Chair in Nursing provides much-needed support to theUAB School of Nursing. This endowment is currently being used by theSchool to attract and retain an internationally renowned academician, researcher, and clinician with expertise to support the School of Nursing’s research mission.

Dr. Marie L. O’Koren EndowedChair in Nursing

Marie A. Bakitas, DNSc, APRN, NP-C, AOCN, ACHPN, FAAN, currently serves as the Marie L. O’Koren Endowed Chair and Professor at the UAB School of Nursing.

Endowed Professorships benefit the School of Nursing through education, research and development. Opportunities to recruit and retain excellent andvisionary faculty members are made available through generous gifts designated for endowed professorships such as the Donna Brown Banton Endowed Professorship.

The current UAB School of Nursing Banton Endowed Professor in the Department of Community Health, Outcomes and Systems is Patricia Patrician, PhD, RN, FAAN, retired U.S. Army Colonel.

Endowed Scholarships support is a vital way to strengthen the UAB School ofNursing and to meet the increasing financial needs of students. Academic scholarships bring the best and brightest students to the UAB School ofNursing and assist need-based students in pursuing a nursing education when facing financial obstacles. Many generous donors have endowed over 60 endowed scholarships.